Pepsi Blue
Pepsi Blue (also known in The Philippines as "Pepsi Pinas", and in Mexico as "Pepsi Blue Spice") was a Pepsi cola flavor that was first released in stores in August of 2002 and then later discontinued in May of 2004 in the United States and Canada. It returned as a limited edition soda for some other international markets, which is still available in certain regions as a permanent flavor for China, Malaysia, Asia, Vietnam, and in The Philippines throughout the years as far back as 2011. Description Pepsi Blue is a variant of Pepsi which is blue in color, similar to Pepsi Berry. Its flavor was a berry cola flavor. There was speculation from many people saying that the flavor tastes like raspberries with an aftertaste of cotton candy. History Pepsi Blue was first introduced in August 2002 and then later discontinued in Canada and the United States in May of 2004, although it remains available in certain regions of China, Malaysia, Asia, Vietnam, and in The Philippines. Its flavor was the result of taste-testing over 100 flavors over a 9-month period. It was designed to compete with Vanilla Coke, which was produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia. The flavor of Pepsi Blue was described by Pepsi only as "berry" and described by drinkers as like blueberries or raspberries, or similar to cotton candy with a berry-like after taste and much more sugary and syrupy than regular cola. It was tinted using Blue 1, a highly controversial coloring agent banned in numerous countries at the time. The move to make a brightly colored version of the flagship Pepsi brand was spurred by 2001's introduction of Mountain Dew Code Red, which had bumped PepsiCo's Mountain Dew division sales up 6%. Promotions Although heavily promoted by PepsiCo, including advertisements by the pop singer Britney Spears and the bands Sev and Papa Roach, as well as in the movies The Italian Job, and Garfield: The Movie, is widely seen as a commercial flop as sales remained low. Even with the failure of Pepsi Blue, PepsiCo still managed to post double-digit growth. Pepsi Blue was promoted after New York Mets games during the summer of 2002, where the color blue was one of the symbolic colors of the ball club. Other promotions included handing out free bottles from a Pepsi Blue themed VW New Beetle at popular shopping centers around the country. Jolt Cola makes a similar beverage called Jolt Blue CX2; a blue raspberry soda in a battery shaped metal can with a flavor often described as like that of cotton candy. Pepsi Blue was also endorsed by Adam Vinatieri and the New England Patriots kicker. In Manila, Philippines, Pepsi Blue was sold for a limited time in late 2002 to commemorate the championship of the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the UAAP In 2011, Pepsi released Pepsi Blue in Metro Manila, The Philippines as Pepsi Pinas. After the Pepsi Pinas was successful, it became a permanent product and renamed as Pepsi Blue. It is rare in bottles and cans but common as a fountain drink at Philippine 7-Eleven outlets. In India, Pepsi Blue was sold during the 2003 Cricket World Cup as a gesture of support to the Indian Cricket Team, the cricketers of which wear blue jerseys. Category:PepsiCo Brands Category:The Flavors Category:2002 Category:2003 Category:2004 Category:2011 Category:2017 Category:Blue Flavors Category:Discontinued Category:Fountain Drink Category:Current Flavors Category:Present Flavors Category:International Flavors Category:Limited Edition Flavors Category:7-Eleven Products Category:Other Bottle Designs Category:20 Oz. Bottle Designs Category:2 Liter Bottle Designs Category:Can Designs Category:12 Oz. Bottle Designs Category:Bottle Designs